Cutter-head.



No. 788,784. PATENTED MAY z, 1905.

A. sHELBURNE & W. A. BUETTNBR.

CUTTER HEAD. APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l v divmowo No. 788,734. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. A. SHELBURNE & W. A.BUBTTNER.

CUTTER HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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NITRU STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OrrIcE.

CUTTER-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 788,734, dated May 2,1905. Application filed July 22, 1904. Serial No. 217.735.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ARTHUR SIInLBURNu and WILLIAM A. BUETTNER, citizensof the United States, residing at Sullivan, in the county of Sullivanand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovementsin Cutter-Heads; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and e2;- act description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to coal-mining machines, and more particularly tomeans employed for mounting the endless tool-carrier whereby the partswill be protected against wear and the cost of maintenance reduced to aminimum; and our invention consists of certain novel features ofconstruction and combination of parts, the preferred form whereof willbe hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The prime object of our invention, therefore, may be'said to be theprovision of protecting bearing-seats for the wheels employed incarrying the endless chain, which latter is provided with a plurality ofcutting tools or blades, as is common.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a partof this application, and in which Figure 1 shows our cutter-headcomplete ready for use with a portion of the tool-carrying chainoperatively disposed relative thereto. Fig. 2 is an edge view of thecutter-head. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 1, taken on line 3 3. Fig. 4 isa sectional view taken on line 44of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 show the innerside of the two complementary sections composing the cutter-head. Fig. 7is a central sectional view of the carrier wheel or idler employed tocarry and direct the endless chain to which is connected a plurality ofcoal-cutting tools. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the memberemployed by us in securing perfect lubrication for the carrying-wheelillustrated in Fig. 7.

For convenience of reference to the various details and cooperatingaccessories numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to asimilar part throughout the several views.

In this connection it may be briefly stated that our cutter-head is soconstructed that the chainrearrying wheels mounted therein will havetheir bearings completely isolated or inclosed, whereby said wheels willalways run in oil or in a perfectly-lubricated condition free from dust,grit, and consequently free from liability to become worn anddeteriorated, the two parts of our cutter-head serving as a reliablyeificient guideway for the endless tool-carrier, whereby the tools willbe reliably held to the performance of their oflice, thus so directingthe tools that no lost motion thereof can result or unnecessary workplaced upon them.

For the purposes of this application we deem it unnecessary to show anentirely complete machine or how the power is applied, it beingunderstood that power may be applied in any preferred way, and we willtherefore call attention to the showing made in the drawings, wherein itwill be observed that special construction has been employed to not onlyprovide non; wearing dust-proof bearings, but also to provide means forcompensating for undue wear upon certain portions of the cutter-head.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates the top section, while2 designates the bottom section, said members being complementary toeach other and are designed to be bolted securely in union, as byentering bolts through suitable apertures 3 in the member 1, thethreaded ends of said bolts being seated in threaded holes 4 provided inthe bottom section. It will be further observed that a wheel-seat isformed in each end of each of said complementary members, the saidwheelseat being of special form, as will be hereinafter particularly setforth. Each of the members 1 and 2 is also provided, respectively, witha raised portion or rib 5 and 6, having ground faces, whereby they willengage each other and form an absolutely tight joint or fitting.

The wheel-seats in each end of the members 1 and 2 are adapted toreceive a special form of chain-carrying wheel, as shown in Fig. 7, andattention is therefore called to Fig. 3 of the drawings, wherein it willbe observed that the member 2 is provided at each end with a collar-likeextension or flange 7, within which the hub 8 of the wheel 9 is designedto rotate, it being observed that an annular space 10, surrounding thecollar 7, is provided to accommodate the bell-shaped flange of saidwheel. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the inside of the hub 8 isprovided with a flange-bushing 8 which tends to reduce wear and excludegrit, &c., from the bearing It will furthermore be observed that asocket is provided centrally at the bottom of the flange 7 to receivethe trunnion or journal 11 of the tubular axle or shaft 12, said axlebeing hollowed out in order to be filled with oil or other form oflubricant, which latter is free to pass out of a plurality of apertures13, more clearly shown in Fig. 8.

It will be observed that the central or body porton of the member 12 isof larger diameter than its outer end 1 1, which latter serves as ajournal and enters a suitable opening provided in a contiguous part ofthe member 1, and it is therefore obvious that when the complementarymembers 1 and 2 are bolted together the wheel 9 will be provided with areliable form of axle upon which to rotate, and since said axle istubular, as before explained, and normally full of oil, the frictionincident to the rotation of the wheel will be reduced to a minimum. Ittherefore becomes desirable to provide means for completely isolatingand protecting the axle or supporting member 12 and rendering the sameabsolutely dust-proof, and with this purpose in view we form upon thetop section 1 an annular rib 15, having a ground face, which latter isdesigned to bear directly against the ground face 16 of the wheel 9, acorresponding annular recess being also provided on the inner side ofthe rib or flange 15, designed as a seat for the gasket 17 which fitssnugly around the terminal 14, and since said gasket is held in placeagainst being crushed by means of the annular flange 15 it follows thatsaid gasket will prove a reliably eflicient barrier against the passageof dust, grit, or the like into the bearing of the carrying-wheel 9,thereby insuring that said carrying-wheel will not only be reliablysupported in its operative position, but that the bearings thereof willalways be in oil or a perfectly-lubricated condition.

By reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the bottom member is soformed that it will be provided with extensions 18, whereby it may bebolted to the chain-guide attached to the other cutter-head or workingparts. Said bottom section is also formed with the extensions 19,designed to be bolted to connecting-bars, as will be obvious, wherebythe cutter-head may be reliably controlled, as usual.

By reference to Figs. 5 and 6 it will furthermore be seen that each ofthe members 1 and 2 is provided with a compensating bar 20, preferablyformed of tool-steel and of proper size not to entirely fill the spacebetween the members 1 and 2, the object in thus leaving a slightclearance between them being to compensate for expansion incident to theuse of the machine inasmuch as burs or irregularities in the surface andedges thereof will be produced as the endless chain or carrier travelsover the same. Cutter-heads as ordinarily constructed of twocomplementary members have no provision made to compensate for themashing down or the production of burs incident to the travel of thechain over the exposed surface thereof, and the result is that thecomplementary sections are spread apart and disturb the bearings andsoon unlit the cutter-head for further efficiency.

The outer edge 21 of the member 1, it will be understood, does notcontact with the outer edge 22 of the member 2, suflicient space beingleft between them, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the links 23 and thenecks or extensions 24 of the tool-carrying members 25 common tocoal-cutting machines, it being understood that the space left betweenthe edges 21 and 22 may be regulated as desired.

It will thus be seen that we have provided reliably efiicient means formounting the toolcarrying chain, whereby it may be driven with the leastpossible friction.

- The various parts of our invention maybe manufactured at acomparatively small cost and each part readilyassembled in itsrespective operative position, and while we have described the preferredcombination and construction of parts we desire to comprehend in thisapplication all substitutes and equivalents that may be considered asfalling fairly within the scope of our invention.

1Vhen it is desired to hold the member 12 against rotation, the journal11 may beprovided with a transverse aperture to receive a locking boltor rivet 26, as shown in Fig. 3, said terminal 11 being preferablyformed with a concavity, as designated by the numeral 27, to facilitatethe boring of a hole for the reception of said locking-rivet. The member1 is also tapped at each end, as designated by the numeral 28, throughwhich a plug or closure 29 may be entered in the tubular end of theextension 14, said plug being easily removed and secured in place afterthe tubular axle has been filled with oil or other lubricant.

Believing that the advantages and manner of constructing and using ourinvention have thus been made clearly apparent, further description isdeemed unnecessary.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described cutter-head comprising the complementary members1 and 2, each formed with the semibearing-seat complementary to eachother on opposite sections, said seat comprising in the bottom sectionsa flange or collar 7 and upon the top section an inwardly-directedflange a chain-carrying wheel having a hub-like member or extension 8fitting within the flange of the member 2 and engaged at its upper endby said flange 15; a tubular journal having a plurality of aperturespiercing the wall thereof operatively mounted in suitable bearing seatsor sockets of the complementary members; suitable means for securing thecomplementary members l and 2 in union with each other; removablecompensating bars carried by each of said members and means to hold saidbars in union with each other and with controlling parts thereof, allcombined substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described cutter-head comprising members 1 and 2,semibearing-seats for each section, a chain-carrying wheel having a hub,said hub fitting within the semibearing-seat of the member 2, a tubularjournal having a plurality of apertures piercing the wall thereofmounted in suitable bearingseats in said members 1 and 2, means forsecuring the members 1 and 2 together, all combined substantially as setforth.

3. The herein-described cutter-head comprising the members 1 and 2, eachmember being provided with semibearing-seats, the

seat in the member 2 comprising a flange or collar 7 and the seat in themember 1 a flange 15, a chain-carrying wheel having a hub-like memberfitting within the flange 7 and engaged at its upper end by the flange15, a space being left between said sernibearing-seats to accommodatethe bell-flange of said wheel, a

tubular journal for said chain-carrying wheel having a plurality ofapertures piercing the walls thereof, removable means to close the upperend of said tubular journal, and additional means to hold said journalstationary, all combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a cutter-head, the combination with members 1 and 2havingsemibearingseats and a chain-carrying wheel mounted therein, of atubular journal having its upper and lower ends reduced in size, alsohaving a plurality of apertures piercing the walls thereof, a closurefor the upper end of said journal, and means to engage the lower end ofsaid tubular journal and hold the same from rotation, as set forth.

5. In a cutter-head, the combination with members 1 and 2 each havingsemibearing seats, of a chain-carrying wheel having a hublike member orextension and a bell-shaped flange, said carrying-wheel being engaged bythe semibearing-seats of the members 1 and 2, a tubular journal fittingwithin said hublike member, a gasket surrounding the upper end of saidtubular journal and the flangebushing interposed between said journaland the hub of said carrying-wheel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR SHELBURNE. WILLIAM A. BUETTNER.

Witnesses:

J OHN J. HAYS, MATTIE HAYs.

